Well this is a direct link to higher government spending and bogus programs for the poor. What bothers me is what qualifies these individuals as being eligible not to pay taxes? Having no tax return? Well that doesn't mean they don't work, it just means they have other means of earning money on the side, along with the benefits of tons of government programs. Many people have a much lower income than I do and they have better health insurance that they don't even pay for. I will agree with many of you that it is a form of socialism because our country rewards the individuals who have the means to go out and work themselves, and punishes people like ourselves for having ambition and drive. This only creates little incentive for the poor and uneducated to actually punch in and out, and pay taxes.

Some people have argued that unemployment and other government subsidies help the economy because it's puts money in the hands of people who would otherwise be broke and spend little. But that is not the right way to look at it. Sure there aren't as many jobs anymore, especially ones that don't require a college education. And who wants to mortgage their future at a young age and owe hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time they are done with their studies? This cycle is a recipe for disaster and is the main reason we are in such serious debt. These programs need to stop for people to actually wake up and realize that they can't live of the fat of the land forever. It is like someone who lives with their parents for their entire lives. If they enable them to do that, many would never leave their homes and be forced to provide for themselves. I just don't think it is fair to the rest of us who work hard our entire lives only to see people who put in half the effort have the same benefits we have and pay less in taxes. The safety net needs to be pulled out from under their feet, and they need to fall directly on their asses.

Since Obamacare mandates that children may stay on their parents' healthcare insurance policy until age 26, inferring that age 26 is a reasonable age to expect someone to be self-supporting, why not apply the same mandate for all Fed welfare programs? That is, one can draw welfare until they are 26, then off they go into the cold, cruel world of financial independence. If NGOs or charities want to continue to support them after age 26, no problem, more power to them. Just get them off my payroll.

This is why we need to make fortune 500 companies pay a higher minimum wage.

Take a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children. The dad works at a local big box mart owned by a fortune 500 company, but gets paid below poverty level wages. Not only can the family draw social benefits like food stamps and medicaid, but they get several thousand dollars back on income tax.

This is why we need to make fortune 500 companies pay a higher minimum wage.

The minimum wage was never designed for someone to support a family. It is to provide a basic floor for someone entering the work force, learning job skills, and working their way up to a better paying position.

This is why we need to make fortune 500 companies pay a higher minimum wage.

Take a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children. The dad works at a local big box mart owned by a fortune 500 company, but gets paid below poverty level wages. Not only can the family draw social benefits like food stamps and medicaid, but they get several thousand dollars back on income tax.

This is why we need to eliminate ALL welfare programs (corporate and personal), as well as eliminating the minimum wage.
If "Dad's job skill level is "shelf stocker" at x-mart (and he needs constant supervision to do that), than he should keep his pecker in his pants and his hands OUT of MY pockets.
Don't breed them if you can't feed them.

The minimum wage was never designed for someone to support a family. It is to provide a basic floor for someone entering the work force, learning job skills, and working their way up to a better paying position.

You are absolutely right, and most people know they can sit on their asses and collect just as much as actually working a minimum wage job. The problem is that folks need an education for most higher paying jobs, or they need loyalty and good work ethics, something that most welfare recipients don't have. That is the problem that I have with these programs. You don't reward someone because they are lazy and dishonest (the people who work under the table and collect). Unemployment is a little different in that those individuals were laid off, but how hard do they look for another job? Once they go on unemployment there is also little incentive to go out and change their trade.

The real problem is that once a person starts to receive easy money it is tough to go back out into the ranks of the employed. If these programs were to either dissolve (which isn't going to happen) or create tougher standards or criteria for being eligible. The average poverty stricken family in this country lives pretty damn well compared to third world countries. They have smartphones, computers, and flat screen TVs

When you have fortune 500 companies turning billions of dollars in profits, there is no excuse not to pay a liveable wage.

Kudos for that post.

Another eye-popping number was the percentage of Americans who donít pay income taxes, which now accounts for nearly half of the U.S. population. Meanwhile, most of that population receives generous federal benefits.

Lies. This quote from that article is so wrong and contradictory it's almost funny. 1/2 of Americans? Receiving federal benefits? Anyone spent any time thinking and looking for information rather than using this BS for personal affirmation to a distorted agenda? Ever think that the majority of those almost 1/2 of American citizens (remember, this isn't talking about immigrants, legal or illegal) that are used in this big lie could be students, children, retired, retired living out of the country, disabled, and non-working stay at home spouses? All of these are "receiving" federal benefits in the way of tax breaks, SS, and SSDI. Just another non-fact to divide America.

__________________"I have no issues with people of all types being here, I do have a problem with the more extreme ends of any spectrum trying to dominate and push out moderates and opposites." Bill Plein

When you have fortune 500 companies turning billions of dollars in profits, there is no excuse not to pay a liveable wage.

Before people get carried away thinking about those "billions in profits", they need to look at what percentage that is. On most of those big companies (not all) the actual profit margine is fairly small. If you look at that and do some thinking, you will find out that a lot of those companies can't afford to give much of a raise to everyone.

BTW, if you do some digging, you may be shocked at what companies are making the big profit percentages.

You know if someone doesn't make near or below the poverty level maybe they shouldn't pay any! But they shouldn't get back thousands that someone else pays via the earned income tax credit. What ever happened to doing without the "wants" in life?
I think it was published a couple weeks ago 20% of all are on the government dole at the avg. of over 32,000. Should we cut all welfare and help out no but at least help people help themselves. We have made a generation of modern day slaves to the government who are more than happy to sit on their porch and draw a check. We all know the welfare system is broken and generations of people of all color live off our dime and actually think they deserve more. Even our young people today who work think they should have it all NOW! It is all due to fact we as parents and the government has told them that all their life. Until we hit bottom and we are like Greece will things change. Guess I agree with BangBangPlay pretty much 100%.

For those who would like to see some numbers about federal income taxes, here is a link. These numbers come from the IRS. They are based on tax returns, so people not filing returns are NOT included in these numbers.

Now, when arguing about who pays taxes, remember to state what taxes you are talking about. I believe that nearly half of the workers pay no federal income tax(net) but many still pay payroll taxes. Now I don't know how many get enought from us to cover those taxes as well, but it's something to think about. Then some people will start talking about sales taxes, etc.....then it become a big can of worms.

None of this changes the fact that those who work hard and prosper, pay the lions share of federal taxes.

Lies. This quote from that article is so wrong and contradictory it's almost funny. 1/2 of Americans? Receiving federal benefits? Anyone spent any time thinking and looking for information rather than using this BS for personal affirmation to a distorted agenda? Ever think that the majority of those almost 1/2 of American citizens (remember, this isn't talking about immigrants, legal or illegal) that are used in this big lie could be students, children, retired, retired living out of the country, disabled, and non-working stay at home spouses? All of these are "receiving" federal benefits in the way of tax breaks, SS, and SSDI. Just another non-fact to divide America.

Then it wouldn't be a lie, now would it. Just because you don't like what it says, doesn't make it a lie. If there are x number of people and x/2 are getting something, the x/2 number remains the same regardless of who they are.

It is not a non-fact to divide...it is a fact to inform. The bed wetting liberals don't want us to know how many people we are supporting.

Then it wouldn't be a lie, now would it. Just because you don't like what it says, doesn't make it a lie. If there are x number of people and x/2 are getting something, the x/2 number remains the same regardless of who they are.

It is not a non-fact to divide...it is a fact to inform. The bed wetting liberals don't want us to know how many people we are supporting.

It's a distortion that is meant to deceive. If children, stay at home spouses, retired people who are totally dependent on SS, non-working military widows, college students, disabled people who are on SSI or SSDI, prisoners, are taken out of the equation the number is considerably less. That is what makes it a lie. It's intentions are to anger people over some imaginary injustice.

__________________"I have no issues with people of all types being here, I do have a problem with the more extreme ends of any spectrum trying to dominate and push out moderates and opposites." Bill Plein

It's a distortion that is meant to deceive. If children, stay at home spouses, retired people who are totally dependent on SS, non-working military widows, college students, disabled people who are on SSI or SSDI, prisoners, are taken out of the equation the number is considerably less. That is what makes it a lie. It's intentions are to anger people over some imaginary injustice.

So where should they list children and prisoners as working people not paying taxes

Before people get carried away thinking about those "billions in profits", they need to look at what percentage that is. On most of those big companies (not all) the actual profit margine is fairly small.

Companies like exxon, apple, walmart,,,, they can afford to pay their employees rather well.

Did you hear about the story where some foreign exchange students came to the US, got jobs working at a chocolate factory, and were only making $8 an hour? And this was for some big company.

It's a distortion that is meant to deceive. If children, stay at home spouses, retired people who are totally dependent on SS, non-working military widows, college students, disabled people who are on SSI or SSDI, prisoners, are taken out of the equation the number is considerably less. That is what makes it a lie. It's intentions are to anger people over some imaginary injustice.

It is money in vs. money out.

Just because you don't like what is said, doesn't make it a lie.

If you want to talk about twisting the truth to further a political agenda, you should be fussing about the media being biased to the left.

Meanwhile, the Kochs et al bankroll a mushrooming number of front groups like "the Heritage Foundation" (the above source) to stir resentment among working class Americans.

Why don't you include the great George Soros when you talk of billionaires fronting groups. Could it be you agree with Soros so it makes it ok? Better yet all the groups fronting Media Matters.
Meanwhile back to the topic good article in the Boston Herald today via Real Clear Politics. 49.5% pay no income taxes.